Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3rd, 1469 in Florence, Italy. During this time, Italy was separated into four distinct regions that were a peak interest for stronger European governments since the rival city states left Italy vulnerable. Born into nobility, Machiavelli was sibling to a sister and two brothers. His father, Bernardo, was a lawyer. Machiavelli began his education when he was seven years old. A family tradition was a love for classical works of literature, which was passed to Machiavelli and is rather evident in his writing.[1]
During the year 1498, Machiavelli obtained the title of chancellor to the Florentine Republic, and also gained the name of secretary of the second chancellery. Some of his responsibilities included writing reports and diplomatic letters as well as undertaking diplomatic travels, of which he attended some 23 missions to places such as France and Rome. Evidently, Machiavelli's diplomatic experience and work writing treatises and letters prepared him to write the historical works of he which is remembered for.
Florence, Italy in the 15th century
In the 14 years that Niccolo Machiavelli served as a diplomat while the Medici family was in exile, Machiavelli gained quite the unscrupulous reputation for being deceitful and a trickster. Following this, he was tortured, jailed, and banished from a place of political activism for a conspiracy against the Medici family. During this time, Machiavelli was separated from politics and therefore began to focus on history. He seemed to be rather interested in Roman history, leading him to write The Prince, which was about the monarchical rule and man's ability to determine his fate versus destiny. This work was interpreted as a philosophical way to guide politicians to establish total authority, and prompted the term "Machiavellian". During the later years of his life, Machiavelli moved to a small community outside the city of Florence, staying there until his death on June 21, 1527. Years later, Machiavelli became regarded as the father of modern political theory[2] .
Major Beliefs
Machiavelli was the founder of a political theory that came to be known as Machiavellianism. His theories are most present in The Prince which describes how governments should gain and upkeep their power. He rejected more religious based politics and instead focused on the practicality of ideas. Machiavellianism also prompts the idea that good and stable rulers have to learn and adapt to the notion of altering their ethics in order to run their state in a smooth, just way. They must learn to set aside things such as justice and kindness in order to benefit the state as a whole. A leader should not just govern from a set list of rules, but instead try to adapt to what is happening as his state grows and changes[3] . Machiavelli's views can be seen as an early version of pragmaticism, meaning that traditional theories and beliefs or ethics can be assessed and changed if the practical outcome will reap a benefit. A statesman should make use of any ideal that would justify and moralize his policies. To Machiavelli, the executive power of a state should have only one policy, which should be made to stabilize and ensure control. The term "Machiavellianism" is accompanied with some negative connotations, as Machiavelli encouraged rulers to lie and decieve to maintain balance.
Machiavelli's view of philosophy was seemingly a view that man, history, and universe all were combined into a singularity. By this, he was implying that there is never any real change in the universe. He extends this thought into both history and people, since history cannot be changed and people seem to go through no change as well. He considered a person's fate as being partly controlled by a person's actions and partly by the historical past. A man can only have so much freedom, according to Machiavelli, as he believed in virtu which was a belief that nothing of significant importance could ever alter. With regard to mankind, he believed that there is an equal balance between good and evil, that history is repetitious, and despite people dying and being born that their nature never will change. From this, Machiavelli builds his political beliefs. That in order to bring upon a greater level of good within a society that a greater evil must be brought up. By this, he meant a ruler or leader of a state. Machiavelli had an underlying theme within his doctrines, which was a philosophy that stated that he would reject any form of speculation. Life is governed by experience, and because of this humanity and history are far superior to speculation, which developed his political theories to be without speculation[4].
Major Writings
Machiavelli wrote many different political works while holding office in the Florentine Republic. Many of these were just short poems and political works, including the Decennali which was based on the history of Florence. His two larger, more popular works were the Prince and The Discourses on Livy which were not published until after his death. The Prince was his most popular work following his death and the book's publication. Machiavelli deserted the the typical, Christian view of history and instead wrote and saw the major historical events in terms of being completely human and non-religious. He believed that man had the ability to control his own fate and that the political leader had the perfect opportunity to promote something significant in his territory. According to Machiavelli, the overall welfare of the state was greater than individual needs[5] .
Another one of his works, the Discourses, conveyed Machiavelli's position of the institutionalized church. He uses examples such as the how the church in Italy weakened all of the City States. Furthermore, he proposed that the Church would have most likely fallen by its own hand and corrupt nature, but reforms from St. Francis saved it from its downward spiral. Due to Machiavelli's love for history, he also wrote a work entitled History of Florence in which he accurately focused on the underlying events that led to major events that rocked Florence. He did not just discuss the events themselves, but rather what caused them. Throughout all of his works, he stuck closely to his beliefs that are very close to 19th century liberalism. Machiavelli taught the upright stature of man, freedom of each individual, and the right for the populous vote to bring officials into political office. Though his writings were radical during his time, he laid the foundation for modern political philosophy.
Despite his cutting-edge political novels, Machiavelli was a splendid writer and spent some time writing two comedies: The Clizia and The Mandragola. Machiavelli wrote a numerous amount of histories and political treatises, of which almost all received little recognition or were not published until after his death[6] .
Legacy/Influences
Niccolo Machiavelli was a unique person, especially during his time. His love for the histories and especially that of the classics led him to his viewpoint of history. Growing up, he excelled in academics and would have been a pristine example of a Renaissance man. Additionally, working as a chancellor to the Florentine Republic gave him the first step into the political world. Discourses on Livy was written during that time and serves as an example of his vast knowledge. The Prince, however, was a huge turning point in that it was supportive of liberal ideals and republicanism. He was the founder of the ideals of change present in the 1700s and 1800s and because of this, his works are still studied to this day. Perhaps because of his love for the classics and his humanist perspective his influences would have been philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato. [7] .
Despite how useful secondary sources can be in interpreting the works of Machiavelli, nothing can compare to reading his works outright. Directly reading some of his more popular works such as The Prince and Discourses offer insight into Machiavelli's philosophical ideals that shaped the new political theories of the 1800s and today's society.
^ Kreis, Steven. "Niccolò Machiavelli, 1469-1527." The History Guide, 20 July 2014, www.historyguide.org/intellect/machiavelli.html. Accessed 20 Jan. 2018.
Machiavelli
"The Father of Modern Political Theory"Machiavelli | Major Beliefs | Major Writings | Legacy/Influences | Further Reading
Biography
Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3rd, 1469 in Florence, Italy. During this time, Italy was separated into four distinct regions that were a peak interest for stronger European governments since the rival city states left Italy vulnerable. Born into nobility, Machiavelli was sibling to a sister and two brothers. His father, Bernardo, was a lawyer. Machiavelli began his education when he was seven years old. A family tradition was a love for classical works of literature, which was passed to Machiavelli and is rather evident in his writing.[1]During the year 1498, Machiavelli obtained the title of chancellor to the Florentine Republic, and also gained the name of secretary of the second chancellery. Some of his responsibilities included writing reports and diplomatic letters as well as undertaking diplomatic travels, of which he attended some 23 missions to places such as France and Rome. Evidently, Machiavelli's diplomatic experience and work writing treatises and letters prepared him to write the historical works of he which is remembered for.
In the 14 years that Niccolo Machiavelli served as a diplomat while the Medici family was in exile, Machiavelli gained quite the unscrupulous reputation for being deceitful and a trickster. Following this, he was tortured, jailed, and banished from a place of political activism for a conspiracy against the Medici family. During this time, Machiavelli was separated from politics and therefore began to focus on history. He seemed to be rather interested in Roman history, leading him to write The Prince, which was about the monarchical rule and man's ability to determine his fate versus destiny. This work was interpreted as a philosophical way to guide politicians to establish total authority, and prompted the term "Machiavellian". During the later years of his life, Machiavelli moved to a small community outside the city of Florence, staying there until his death on June 21, 1527. Years later, Machiavelli became regarded as the father of modern political theory[2] .
Major Beliefs
Machiavelli was the founder of a political theory that came to be known as Machiavellianism. His theories are most present in The Prince which describes how governments should gain and upkeep their power. He rejected more religious based politics and instead focused on the practicality of ideas. Machiavellianism also prompts the idea that good and stable rulers have to learn and adapt to the notion of altering their ethics in order to run their state in a smooth, just way. They must learn to set aside things such as justice and kindness in order to benefit the state as a whole. A leader should not just govern from a set list of rules, but instead try to adapt to what is happening as his state grows and changes[3] . Machiavelli's views can be seen as an early version of pragmaticism, meaning that traditional theories and beliefs or ethics can be assessed and changed if the practical outcome will reap a benefit. A statesman should make use of any ideal that would justify and moralize his policies. To Machiavelli, the executive power of a state should have only one policy, which should be made to stabilize and ensure control. The term "Machiavellianism" is accompanied with some negative connotations, as Machiavelli encouraged rulers to lie and decieve to maintain balance.
Machiavelli's view of philosophy was seemingly a view that man, history, and universe all were combined into a singularity. By this, he was implying that there is never any real change in the universe. He extends this thought into both history and people, since history cannot be changed and people seem to go through no change as well. He considered a person's fate as being partly controlled by a person's actions and partly by the historical past. A man can only have so much freedom, according to Machiavelli, as he believed in virtu which was a belief that nothing of significant importance could ever alter. With regard to mankind, he believed that there is an equal balance between good and evil, that history is repetitious, and despite people dying and being born that their nature never will change. From this, Machiavelli builds his political beliefs. That in order to bring upon a greater level of good within a society that a greater evil must be brought up. By this, he meant a ruler or leader of a state. Machiavelli had an underlying theme within his doctrines, which was a philosophy that stated that he would reject any form of speculation. Life is governed by experience, and because of this humanity and history are far superior to speculation, which developed his political theories to be without speculation[4].
Major Writings
Machiavelli wrote many different political works while holding office in the Florentine Republic. Many of these were just short poems and political works, including the Decennali which was based on the history of Florence. His two larger, more popular works were the Prince and The Discourses on Livy which were not published until after his death. The Prince was his most popular work following his death and the book's publication. Machiavelli deserted the the typical, Christian view of history and instead wrote and saw the major historical events in terms of being completely human and non-religious. He believed that man had the ability to control his own fate and that the political leader had the perfect opportunity to promote something significant in his territory. According to Machiavelli, the overall welfare of the state was greater than individual needs[5] .Another one of his works, the Discourses, conveyed Machiavelli's position of the institutionalized church. He uses examples such as the how the church in Italy weakened all of the City States. Furthermore, he proposed that the Church would have most likely fallen by its own hand and corrupt nature, but reforms from St. Francis saved it from its downward spiral. Due to Machiavelli's love for history, he also wrote a work entitled History of Florence in which he accurately focused on the underlying events that led to major events that rocked Florence. He did not just discuss the events themselves, but rather what caused them. Throughout all of his works, he stuck closely to his beliefs that are very close to 19th century liberalism. Machiavelli taught the upright stature of man, freedom of each individual, and the right for the populous vote to bring officials into political office. Though his writings were radical during his time, he laid the foundation for modern political philosophy.
Despite his cutting-edge political novels, Machiavelli was a splendid writer and spent some time writing two comedies: The Clizia and The Mandragola. Machiavelli wrote a numerous amount of histories and political treatises, of which almost all received little recognition or were not published until after his death[6] .
Legacy/Influences
Niccolo Machiavelli was a unique person, especially during his time. His love for the histories and especially that of the classics led him to his viewpoint of history. Growing up, he excelled in academics and would have been a pristine example of a Renaissance man. Additionally, working as a chancellor to the Florentine Republic gave him the first step into the political world. Discourses on Livy was written during that time and serves as an example of his vast knowledge. The Prince, however, was a huge turning point in that it was supportive of liberal ideals and republicanism. He was the founder of the ideals of change present in the 1700s and 1800s and because of this, his works are still studied to this day. Perhaps because of his love for the classics and his humanist perspective his influences would have been philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato. [7] .Further Reading
https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/what-can-you-learn-machiavellihttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/opinion/why-machiavelli-matters.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/machiavelli-the-prince-2011-5?op=1
Despite how useful secondary sources can be in interpreting the works of Machiavelli, nothing can compare to reading his works outright. Directly reading some of his more popular works such as The Prince and Discourses offer insight into Machiavelli's philosophical ideals that shaped the new political theories of the 1800s and today's society.
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